vegans and vegetarians--why did you become one?

[Missing]

2 hours ago, Still said:

Impossible did animal testing, so it's not vegan anyway.

Are you referring to the required animal testing to get FDA approval? I feel like the saying “don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good” is very applicable here.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Still said:

Impossible did animal testing, so it's not vegan anyway.

Current testing could be one thing, but I can't change past testing and if the product will ultimately reduce further animal consumption currently and into the future then I don't want that opportunity to go to waste and render the tested animals suffering to be completely in vain.

 

Unless they're still testing on animals currently, but I'm not aware if they are and even then it's murky.

Like what@Mackenzie Holiday said, if the FDA requires animal testing to allow the products at all then it's even more of an unfortunate necessity of the system we live in.

[Still]

5 minutes ago, Decaying Vegetables said:

Current testing could be one thing, but I can't change past testing and if the product will ultimately reduce further animal consumption currently and into the future then I don't want that opportunity to go to waste and render the tested animals suffering to be completely in vain.

 

Unless they're still testing on animals currently, but I'm not aware if they are and even then it's murky.

Like what@Mackenzie Holiday said, if the FDA requires animal testing to allow the products at all then it's even more of an unfortunate necessity of the system we live in.

It's not like Impossible Burger was the first vegan burger on the market or anything, they just developed a new ingredient that needed to be tested on animals. To me, testing on animals just so your product can taste more like meat just doesn't fit with vegan morals, especially since there were already other ways to make vegan burgers without subjecting animals to tests.

 

And it's not like Impossible has ever marketed itself as a vegan company anyway, they just want to "reduce the consumption of meat", which is...fine I guess if it gets a carnist to not eat meat for once, but I don't know why a vegan would eat their stuff 🤷‍♂️

[Guest]

@Still

Vegans are not a monolith. There's certainly a culture of perfectionism and pushy strictness among a lot of the practitioners, but there are always grey areas and different interpretations to how each individual avoids or reduces consumption as best they can in a world riddled with exploitation at every turn. Especially when you get into smaller infractions and less direct exploitations.

 

Some vegans will not turn down items just because of testing because they see the harm reduction. Some will never be comfortable with it regardless. It's their choice which actions they think best fits their goals.

 

I don't want testing on animals either. But I'm not going to put down or invalidate other vegans if their sense of morality isn't perfectly aligned with my own on every issue. Even if it makes me cringe at times.

[Starry Sky]

Watched a bunch of scary documentaries that tore my heart apart. Was always grossed out eating meat anyways so went vegan cold turkey and kept with it for 6(?) years. Also wanted to decrease my environmental footprint. Only went vegetarian because of my girlfriend at the time and it stuck since it was easier for me with my diet going to the gym. Still eat largely vegan but do like the cheaper protein options for vegetarianism and evil junk foods that I've regained my taste for. People always get mad at me and defensive when they find out I'm vegetarian. Which makes me shameful of it. Don't give a what others eat. 

[marieatsplants]

Went vegetarian for Lent about 8 years ago, and realized how much better I felt (physically) not eating meat -- so I put down health concerns for that.

 

I went vegan 5 years ago with the prompting of a friend of mine who is very into animal rights (she sent me some good youtube vids but I don't remember any of them now). while I find the system through which animals are abused for both meat & dairy abhorrent, I'm not categorically opposed to consuming milk or eggs if you are able to separate these animals from large operations (like keeping a couple chickens for eggs). Probably won't do it myself, but the idea doesn't offend me.

 

Now, if you were to ask me why I stay vegan, it's most surely for environmental reasons, as I've become more educated about the reduced carbon footprint resulting from having a vegan diet. Personally, it feels so easy to just eat lentils, tofu, chickpeas, etc instead of meat and I've discovered a whole world of flavors beyond putting cheese on everything haha!

[nazokashii]

For me it was a really gradual and long process, beginning in middle school when learning about the impact on the climate and environment, which made me gradually cut down on meats - it was to some extent taste too since the vegetarian school food was better than the other 😛 then came the animal reasons, because me and mum (well really only her but) were renting a house just by a small family dairy, (TW)

Spoiler

and hearing the mums and their babies cry for each other

made first my mum see the connection, and then me, so we went fully vegan then. A bit after that I heard about Dr Michael Greger's work so it became about health as well for me. It is also cheaper though that isn't really a motivating factor for me... and over the years through podcasts and Youtube channels and other suchlike, I've learnt more and more, so now I'm vegan for the animals, the environment, my own as well as global health, animal rights, human rights, and so on, and by now I guess the taste and smell really would be a big turn-off, even if that wasn't really why I first went vegan.

[Skylord]

I’m not technically vegan or vegetarian, but I pretty much never eat meat. Horrible ethics within the meat industry aside, I don’t really like eating meat, and it makes me sick anyway. Biggest reason I haven’t just gone completely vegetarian is because the people I live with do like eating meat. If I didn’t have to worry about planning meals for anyone besides myself, I’d likely have almost no meat in my diet. I say ‘almost’ because technically fish is grouped in with that and I’m fine eating ethically sourced fish and seafood.

Considering the horrible ethics part, I really don’t support what a lot of the meat industry does. I used to live not too far from a cow farm growing up and it made me sad to see how depressed they looked. The cows smelt awful for miles because they were living in an absolutely filthy environment, and it seemed as if no one really cared if they were comfortable in the slightest. Farm animals deserve better lives than that, and if we’re going to continue eating them, I think we need to work on being a lot more respectful. 

[a little annihilation]

I went vegan last year for ethical reasons. 

[Guest]

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[orangy]

I'm slowly becoming vegetarian because of moral/political reasons I guess is how it can be described. I don't agree with the conditions most animals are raised in and then killed, there's not as much hygiene, space and general promotion of well being as there should be, and their end should be as painless as possible. Unfortunately things are done to be as cheap and fast to ship away instead, but animals deserve respect.

 

In my country there is a dish that only uses meat from a goat that died of old age or other natural causes (that doesnt harm humans), so if i had a big farm to keep animals happy and safe, I'd like to keep some goats, and I can use other things from the animal for other purposes so nothing is wasted. If I could learn some quick safe and painless methods to end an animal's life though, I might keep some other farm animals in this hypothetical farm.

 

The priority for me really is their well being in life and respect in death. I wouldn't mind eating more meat if I knew 100% certainty they lived and died well, and that no part of the animal would go to waste.

 

As it stands, I can't in good conscious support the meat industry, but I still do a bit because I'm living back with my parents. I've already spent a few months as 100% vegetarian and on the way to vegan when I was in my uni dorms, and after a while meat looked and smelled disgusting to me. At best, un/low seasoned meat just by itself doesn't taste like anything anymore for me either, but living back home eating what other people cook I still eat some poultry or rabbit(from my neighbour who takes good care of them in every step!!) every now and then. Fishing industry also has it's problems but I have no way to get my own fish other than buying.

[Next Gen Paladin]

I was born into a vegetarian family (unusual in 2000, and VERY unusual in the area I live) and never have eaten meat, except one time I ate a crumb of fish when I was 8 because I wanted to get back at my parents for some reason or other I can't now remember. They actually applauded me and I instantly regretted what I did. I still regret I ever did eat that crumb. 

 

I went vegan two-odd years ago; IDK when because it was a slow process of chopping first milk, then most dairy, and finally cheese from my diet, along with eggs. I was always afraid to drop cheese as I loved Mac n cheese, but one day I saw yet another description about what happened on dairy farms and I said "all right I've had enough". 

 

I was vegetarian for the animals, then realized they were still driving the dairy and egg industry, and went vegan instead, this time really for the animals. I am very pro-animal rights, probably to the point where more than one person would call me extreme. For that reason I don't tend to discuss my reasons for veganism unless I'm prepared for a long discussion. 

 

I don't judge people for what they eat, but I do wish more people were aware of the cruelty that often went into what they ate. There's really no 'nice' way to slit an animal's throat. They're still going to feel the pain of it. Also, and this is just me, but rearing an animal from a baby and then killing and eating it just seems like....a betrayal of trust, in a way. But like I say, that is just me. 

 

I have high hopes for the future of cultivated meat, and yes, for plant-based meat as well. I doubt the world will ever be 100% vegan, but I am hopeful we can get a lot closer to that than we are today. 

[Guest]

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[Grumpy Alien]

I was 9 and realised it was an actual option if I put my foot down about it. I never liked meat. I found food frustrating in general because of a then-undiagnosed/untreated GI disorder. I couldn’t enjoy most foods even if I did like the taste but on top of that, I was essentially being guilt tripped into eating meals I didn’t like because meat was assumed to a requirement for most meals. (“But I made it for you!” “You need to eat SOMETHING.” “At least eat half and save the rest for later.” etc.) 

 

I had a broken and weird childhood - I didn’t know I was capable of forming my own opinions on my own clothing outfits until I was 8. So even though my aunt who was the abusive family matriarch was a longtime vegetarian, it just didn’t occur to me as an option for myself until I was about 9. I think it took me a year to fully put my foot down and refuse every extended family member’s attempt at feeding me meat. (To this day, my grandparents who my mom and I lived with along with my vegetarian aunt until I was 18… STILL don’t remember that I don’t eat meat. I’m 30 years old. I’ve never lapsed.) So it’s been about 20 years.

 

I never liked it. I don’t even like meat substitutes at all. I love animals - I personally find it disturbing to needlessly eat them. I find the treatment and industrial farming of animals even more disturbing and don’t wish to support that. This also reduces my footprint a little which I know is a speck of dust in the massive problem that is climate change but any reduction is at least a reduction, right? I have a lot of health issues which a plant based diet can benefit. It’s also a little bit cheaper. Despite common misconceptions, I get plenty of protein naturally - that’s not at all an issue I’ve ever had to consider. (Many people who eat a lot of meat are way over consuming protein for their needs.) Basically, I can happily tick off every reason to not eat meat that you can think of. I wish it was affordable to follow a vegan diet without sacrificing taste and texture. Alas, the edible options are very limited without a much bigger budget. 
 

The only thing that has ever made me consider eating meat again is my constant struggle with weight loss. Dieting would be infinitely easier if I ate chicken and/or fish. But considering the thought makes me upset and the smell of either makes me nauseous, it’s just never going to happen.

[Old Maid Librarian]

I consider myself semi-vegetarian. I eat fish, shrimp, scallops, and eggs. I plan to give up fish and seafood in the future, but it has been a gradual process over the last 40 years. I eat rennet-free cheese unless the choice is cheese probably made with rennet or a meat dish in a restaurant.

 

I'm vegetarian because I want to avoid the suffering of animals, of people who go hungry because the emphasis on meat production drives up the cost of plant-based foods, and of the damage to the environment. I did like meat and still miss pork, ham, and chicken livers sometimes.

[Marmalade Fires]

Hi, I did Veganuary this January which was my 4th go at it but this time I think I had more idea what I was doing and it might have stuck.

 

It's the only diet I've ever followed where I have consistently lost weight (not sure how other countries categorise this but I'm in the obese category in the UK so I could do with losing a significant amount of weight)

 

I do have a lot of reservations about not only the meat industry but also the ethics of e.g. egg production although this isn't my main reason for going vegan, it's more that I find the "rules" quite easy to follow and feel healthier doing it.

 

Anyway I decided to stick with vegan for the foreseeable and am down 7.5kg since the 1st Jan. This still leaves me in the "obese" category but with 4kg to go. So that's my  current motivation.

 

 

[Marmalade Fires]

On 2/19/2023 at 11:25 PM, Marmalade Fires said:

Hi, I did Veganuary this January which was my 4th go at it but this time I think I had more idea what I was doing and it might have stuck.

 

It's the only diet I've ever followed where I have consistently lost weight (not sure how other countries categorise this but I'm in the obese category in the UK so I could do with losing a significant amount of weight)

 

I do have a lot of reservations about not only the meat industry but also the ethics of e.g. egg production although this isn't my main reason for going vegan, it's more that I find the "rules" quite easy to follow and feel healthier doing it.

 

Anyway I decided to stick with vegan for the foreseeable and am down 7.5kg since the 1st Jan. This still leaves me in the "obese" category but with 4kg to go. So that's my  current motivation.

 

 

So an update on this, I have now gone down just over 10kg which means there's 10% less me than at the 1st of Jan and am so flipping proud of myself, and have also mostly replaced things like leather belts and wallets with vegan alternatives and for the first time I can see myself being able to be vegan for life. AND I DO NOT REGRET IT ONE BIT.

[bare_trees]

On 3/10/2023 at 6:58 PM, Marmalade Fires said:

So an update on this, I have now gone down just over 10kg which means there's 10% less me than at the 1st of Jan and am so flipping proud of myself, and have also mostly replaced things like leather belts and wallets with vegan alternatives and for the first time I can see myself being able to be vegan for life. AND I DO NOT REGRET IT ONE BIT.

Sorry I'm just now seeing and responding to this--congratulations!  That's wonderful! 🙂

[Marmalade Fires]

8 hours ago, bare_trees said:

Sorry I'm just now seeing and responding to this--congratulations!  That's wonderful! 🙂

Ah, thank you! I wish I had done this years ago but like most people do I guess I thought it would be a lot harder to do than it has been. I'm surprised how quickly I stopped craving cheese.

 

Yesterday I threw out my leather jacket that I had had since 2008 but had not worn in 2023 so there's another step along the journey.

[Marmalade Fires]

On 1/18/2023 at 1:59 PM, Gloomy said:

For some reason I found being vegan being easier than being vegetarian, maybe because when I was vegan I actually made sure to substitute protein and healthy fats with stuff like tofu and Beyond Meat.

I have found the exact same, I find the ruleset for being vegan instead of vegetarian a lot simpler to follow, and vegan YouTube is very clear what you will need to substitute or  supplement.

[Sarah-Sylvia]

I'm not really vegan/vegetarian, but I I'd to think as being some kind of flexitarian.  I eat vegetarian when I can and reduced egg and dairy eating. And all my meals would be vegetarian if I lived on my own again. It's both for moral reasons and because I just came to like meat less and less over time.

I'm not sure how it started really, I just sometimes ate vegetarian when I started living on my own, and when I went back to university it had already kind of crept up more and I ate vegetarian most of the time. Thinking about it more later and talking with @nazokashiiin the last years kind of reinforced in my mind what I already felt and I like the ideal of being at least vegetarian, and vegan once cheese replacements are easier to get.

 

[Laney916]

Partially because of the animals, but what made me finally commit to being a vegan was my medical issues.  I would have severe belly pains and migraines, and vomiting, sometimes the runs (I have IBS too so I usually alternate between that and being blocked up, but this was worse).  I became vegan 3 years ago, but was vegetarian for almost 8 years before that. My body doesn't break down animal products well, including ones in medication and vitamin supplements.  I still get digestive issues, but I've had no gallbladder attacks or severe belly pains in general and I don't vomit nearly as often anymore. I still get intense migraines during a flare up.

 

Where I live isn't the most vegan friendly though (at least a majority of the restaurants aren't. I can find groceries most of the time, but some substitutes are more difficult to find, like yogurt, cream cheese, and sour cream. The ones available are often nut based, but I'm allergic, and if I find ones I can eat, they're expensive. I've found one or two brands for each of those and I wait for them to be on sale or get them on special occasions. Soy or oat milk is pretty easy for me to replace except for the inflation, but it's on sale fairly often so I'll stock up.  I go through it like crazy). 

[Soul Searcher]

Born in a vegetarian family. Plus I am not a person who breaks status quo easily. So there's that.

[iff]

@bare_trees

 

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